The Busy Depths

Welcome to San Diego, where the Soviet Union meets 16th century Spain. Pictured above is a replica of the San Salvador, the first European ship to explore the California coast, seen from B-39, an actual Soviet submarine built in the late 60s.

I posted about San Diego's Maritime Museum before--in a 2010 entry you can see photos I took of the main attraction, The Star of India, an actual 19th century sailing vessel, and the Surprise, an 18th century replica built for the Peter Weir film Master and Commander. I went back on Monday last week to get some reference photos for my comic though none of the ships at the museum is from the period I'm working with. The Surprise and the San Salvador being from the following and preceding centuries, respectively, had several structural aspects in common, though. It was interesting seeing the evolution of the lateen sails and bowsprit sails.

The San Salvador replica is very new and is not open for boarding to the public. My professor for Pre-Colonial and Colonial Latin America last semester served as a consultant in building the replica, which is how I first heard about it.

I didn't go on board the Soviet submarine last time for some reason so I decided not to pass up the opportunity this time.

It was claustrophobic.

To get from one section to the next, one has to crawl through these small hatches. I did it very awkwardly, using my umbrella as an extra leg on the other side.

Officer quarters and the reflection of my above mentioned umbrella.

Every inch was covered with stuff. I can't imagine knowing what all these buttons and tubes and things do.

There was a family of Russian tourists there.

Cosy.

Connections: Death In The Morning by charlesmo2012

Twitter Sonnet #857

A wobbly wafer drinks through water tongues.
In darkened mouths a question sits at rest.
At dawn the ladder changed to ropeless rungs.
Far down the bib the ink has stained the chest.
A blunted spoon returns the tool box late.
Ourang outang outrage arranged a farm.
Unknown trespasses fell through old Newgate.
No alligator allocates alarm.
Auspicious birds compute the grid for birth.
Inimitable blue, the sky concedes.
It's not illusion, danced for Friday's worth.
Impractical, and great, the drink precedes.
The iron sandwich bread was soaked with brine.
The rain erased a chalkboard menu line.